This invention is directed to wheelchairs and more particularly to an arm rest for a wheelchair that can be tilted and reversibly mounted to provide extended support for a user's arms at the front of the chair or at the rear of the chair.
Since wheelchair users often spend numerous hours each day in the chair, it is occasionally necessary that their seating position be modified to improve comfort. Positional modification can be accomplished, for example, by adjusting a back rest of the wheelchair from an upright position to a reclined position. More specifically, the back rest can be reclined at a predetermined angle such as 30.degree. from the normal upright position.
When the back rest of a wheelchair is thus reclined, an arm space is generally present between the back rest and the back end of the arm rest. It is thus desirable to provide arm support at the arm space to prevent an occupant's arms from slipping into the arm space in an uncomfortable position and/or being injured by the wheels when the wheelchair is moved.
Arm support at the arm space is often provided by stuffing pillows or other filler material into the space. Comfort of a wheelchair occupant can also be enhanced in some circumstances by supporting the user's arms at a selected angle. Angular support of the user's arms is generally provided with auxiliary pillows or padding which are cumbersome to use since they often need frequent adjustment, are bulky, and must be cleaned periodically.
In some instances, the arm rests of a wheelchair will interfere with a desk, table or workstation that a wheelchair user wishes to access. The wheelchair occupant may thus be forced to assume a position of imbalance or discomfort in order to function at the desk, table or workstation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,140,119 and 3,950,026 show wheelchairs with arm rests that can be slidably moved in a forward or rearward position. However the arm rests are not tilt adjustable and require special mounting arrangements.
It is thus desirable to provide an arm rest for a wheelchair with extended arm support when needed at the front or rear, and which arm rest can be abbreviated at a front end to facilitate positioning of the wheelchair adjacent a desk, table or workstation. It is also desirable to provide an arm rest that can be height adjusted and angle adjusted to support the user's arms at selected elevations and/or angles.